Apparatus for removing crankcase oil

ABSTRACT

A hand-operated piston pump having a T-connection at the base thereof in fluid communication with the pump, the T-connection having alternately acting freely movable double check valves. Flexible tubing is connected to each lateral end of the Tconnection. One tube has a terminal end which is sufficiently rigid to permit insertion into the dip stick opening in the crankcase of an internal combustion engine for draining the lubricating oil from the crankcase.

United States Patent Thompson 1 Mar. 14, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR REMOVING CRANKCASE OIL [72] Inventor: Courtenay M. Thompson, 3354 Burke Road No. 124, Pasadena, Tex. 77504 [22] Filed: Sept. 24, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 75,159

[52] US. Cl ..417/568 [51] Int. Cl F041) 21/02, F04b 39/10 [58] Field ofSearch ..417/567, 568; 184/15 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,564,146 12/1925 Soresi ..417/568 2,257,725 10/1941 Davis ..417/568 3,095,062 6/1963 Neely l 84/l.5

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 732,128 9/1932 France ..417/568 Primary ExaminerRobert M. Walker Attorney-Dos T. Hatfield ABSTRACT A hand-operated piston pump having a T-connection at the base thereof in fluid communication with the pump, the T- conneetion having alternately acting freely movable double check valves. Flexible tubing is connected to each lateral end of the T-connection. One tube has a terminal end which is sufficiently rigid to permit insertion into the dip stick opening in the crankcase of an internal combustion engine for draining the lubricating oil from the crankcase.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented March 14, 1972 FIG. 2

' FIG. 3

28 as H64 INVENTOR Fl 5 COURTENAY M. THOMPSON ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR REMOVING CRANKCASE OIL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is well known that the cost of engine lubricating oil sold at automobile service stations is considerably higher than comparable grade oil sold at automobile accessory stores, cut-rate department stores, drug stores and the like. The differential in cost is frequently 100 to 150 percent. Thus, an automobile owner can save from about $2.00 or more per oil change for the average eight cylinder automobile engine if the owner purchased the oil from a place other than a service station and changed the oil himself. However, draining the oil from the crankcase is an unpleasant and dirty undertaking. Also, changing oil in an inboard engine, either gasoline or diesel, of a boat is very time-consuming and a difficult undertaking, and usually has to be performed by a marine expert, which makes such service to the boat owner quite expensive.

There are a large number of patent disclosures of devices for draining oil from the crankcase of an engine, some of which have been commercial. Some of these devices use vacuum for removing the oil through the dip stick opening in the crankcase. However, such devices have been quite expensive to manufacture and hence their use has been limited to gasoline service stations and marinas. Such devices usually have utilized electric motors to drive suction pumps and the like. Other disclosures which are intended for use by the automobile owner, using the dip stick opening principle, have been of a rather complicated nature and have proposed utilizing the suction of the manifold of a running engine or have a power take-off from the same engine which is to have its oil drained to operate a pump. None of these latter mentioned devices have, in so far as applicant is aware, met with any commercial success, because it is believed that they are too expensive for the individual automobile or boat owner.

To applicants knowledge, there has not been a device which could be manufactured and sold for a few dollars which can effectively drain the oil from the crankcase of an engine through the dip stick opening.

The device of the present invention is simple in construction and operation, effective in removing all of the oil and can be manufactured and sold at a price wherein it is economically feasible for any automobile or boat owner to change the oil in his engine.

While the device of the present invention is particularly useful for draining oil from a crankcase of an engine, it has many other useful functions for transferring fluids, particularly liquids, from one receptacle to another, such as diesel fuel, gasoline, naptha, kerosene, etc. from a storage receptacle to a portable tank, such as the gasoline tank of an automobile or boat.

PRIOR ART The following US. Pats. are the most pertinent known to applicant to the invention disclosed and claimed herein:

No. 1,586,208 Maybach No. 1,815,221 Sweetland No. 3,174,409 Hill SUMMARY In accordance with the invention, a simple hand-operated reciprocating piston pump having a T-connection secured to the bottom of the pump cylinder and double acting freely movable valves are positioned in the connection and arranged so that upon the suction stroke of the piston the inlet valve is opened and the outlet valve is closed solely by the suction created by the pump. On the pressure stroke of the piston, the inlet valve is closed and the outlet valve is opened, again solely by the pressure created by the pump. Flexible tubing is secured to the inlet and outlet side of the T-connection, and the tubing, at least the terminal end portion of the tubing on the inlet end is sufficiently rigid to permit insertion into the dip stick opening ofthe crankcase of an engine, while the terminal end of the tubing on the outlet end of the connection may be placed in a suitable collection receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pump showing the T-connection and the flexible tubing secured to the latter;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the T-connection showing a portion of the tubing secured to the lateral ports;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the bottom portion of the pump and the T-connection secured to the bottom of the pump cylinder;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of only the T-connection showing the position of the ball valves during the suction stroke of the P p;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the T-connection only showing the position of the ball valves on the pressure stroke of the piston.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. I, the hand-operated reciprocating piston pump is generally indicated by the letter P, the inverted T- connection generally indicated by the letters T-C and the flexible tubing secured to the lateral ports of the T-connection is generally indicated by F-T. The pump P has the customary cylinder 2 and the piston rod 4 with a handle 6 secured to the upper end of the piston rod 4. The piston 8 is formed of a pair of thick leather cups and are not affected by contact with hot lubricating oil or other liquids such as naptha, alcohol, desiel fuel, water or the like. The inlet tubing 10 is preferably formed of vinyl plastic which is tough and flexible. Secured to the end of tube 10 is a section of semirigid tubing 12 which is sufficiently rigid to be capable of being inserted into the dip stick tube and crank case of an internal combustion engine. Flexible vinyl tubing 14 is secured to the outlet side of the T-connection.

As shown in FIG. 2 the inverted T-connection includes a threaded stud 16 having a vertical bore or port 18 and is secured to the bottom of the pump cylinder 2 through an aperture formed in the base of the cylinder. The stud 16 is secured in the base of the pump cylinder by means of a nut 20 which is screw threaded on the stud and sealing gaskets 22 surround the stud l6 and are positioned on either side of the base of the cylinder as shown in FIG. 3.

The inverted T-connection as shown in FIG. 2 has a lateral bore or port 24 and an inlet valve seat 26 and an outlet valve seat 28. Preferably, the T-connection is formed of brass and ball valves 30 and 32 preferably formed of stainless steel are positioned to cooperate with the inlet valve seat 26 and the outlet valve seat 28 respectively. The tapered coiled wires 34 and 36 are positioned within the lateral bore 24 which function solely as positioning means which limit the movement of the ball valves 30 and 32. The wire coils 34 and 36 do not function as springs and there is sufficient space between the coils 34 and 36 and their respective ball valves 30 and 32 to permit the ball valves to be moved from their respective seats to permit fluid flow through the lateral port 24. Thus, the ball valves 30 and 32 can move freely within the lateral port 24 to and from their respective valve seats, their movement being limited solely by the sidewalls of the lateral port and their respective wire coils.

The wire coils 34 and 36 are sufficiently stiff so as to prevent both ball valves from seating on the suction or pressure strokes of the piston. By omitting spring pressure on the ball valves, adjustment of such pressure becomes unnecessary as is customary in spring urged ball valves. The arrangement of the valve seats, ball valves and coil wire as shown in FIG. 2 enables the ball valves to have free movement and thus float.

As further explanation of the free floating of the ball valves, reference is made to the FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 of the drawings. As shown in FIG. 4 the vacuum created by moving the piston 8 outwardly of the cylinder 2 moves the ball valve 30 away from its seat 26 and permits the fluid or liquid to be drawn inwardly through the flexible tubing 10 and the inlet side of the T-connection and through the port 18 into the cylinder 2 of the pump as shown by the arrows. Simultaneously, the ball valve 32 is drawn by the suction to its seat 28 to close the outlet. When the piston 8 is moved inwardly on its pressure stroke, the fluid or liquid contained within the cylinder 2 is forced out of the cylinder through the port 18, thus simultaneously creating pressure on both of the ball valves and forcing ball valve 30 against its seat 26 to close the inlet and forcing ball valve 32 away from its seat 28 and force the fluid out of the outlet end of the port 24 and through the flexible tubing 14.

in operation, the semirigid end 12 of the inlet portion of the tubing can be inserted into a clip stick opening of an internal combustion engine and its terminal end positioned on the bottom of the crankcase. The outlet tubing 14 may then be placed within a suitable collection receptacle. The operator then grasps the handle 6 with one hand and the cylinder 2 with the other hand and pulls the piston rod 4 outwardly thus creating a vacuum within the cylinder 2 by the outward movement of piston 8. This vacuum draws the oil from the crankcase through the tube 12 and I and into the lateral port 24, port 18 and into the cylinder 2 and the ball valves move to the position as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The operator then pushes the piston rod 4 inwardly within the cylinder 2, thus forcing the liquid out of the port 24 and into the tubing 14 and the ball valves move to the position as shown in FIG. 5. Repeated reciprocation of the pump piston repeats the above operation.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for transferring liquid comprising a handoperated reciprocating piston pump, a T-connection secured to the base of said pump, said T-connection having a vertical bore in fluid communication with said pump and a lateral bore in fluid communication with said vertical bore, said lateral bore having an inlet and an outlet end, a pair of valves in said lateral bore positioned on either side of said vertical bore, said valves including valve seats and ball valves cooperating with said valve seats, said ball valves being mounted in said bore for free limited movement and being arranged in relation with their respective valve seats to open one of said valves adjacent said inlet end of said lateral bore when the piston in said pump is moved outwardly and simultaneously close the valve adjacent the outlet end of said bore and to close said valve adjacent the inlet end of said bore and simultaneously open said valve adjacent the outlet end of said bore when said piston is moved inwardly, resilient means in said lateral bore spaced from said ball valves when said valves are in seating position for limiting the movement of said ball valves away from their seats and flexible plastic tubing connected to both the inlet and outlet ends of said lateral bore, whereby, in operation, the reciprocation of said pump liquid is drawn into the inlet tubing and pump and then forced out of the pump and through the outlet tubing.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprises a pair of coiled wires.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including a semirigid plastic tube connected to the free end of the inlet tubing, said semirigid tube being adapted to be inserted into the dip stick opening of an engine crankcase.

n-inn 

1. An apparatus for transferring liquid comprising a handoperated reciprocating piston pump, a T-connection secured to the base of said pump, said T-connection having a vertical bore in fluid communication with said pump and a lateral bore in fluid communication with said vertical bore, said lateral bore having an inlet and an outlet end, a pair of valves in said lateral bore positioned on either side of said vertical bore, said valves including valve seats and ball valves cooperating with said valve seats, said ball valves being mounted in said bore for free limited movement and being arranged in relation with their respective valve seats to open one of said valves adjacent said inlet end of said lateral bore when the piston in said pump is moved outwardly and simultaneously close the valve adjacent the outlet end of said bore and to close said valve adjacent the inlet end of said bore and simultaneously open said valve adjacent the outlet end of said bore when said piston is moved inwardly, resilient means in said lateral bore spaced from said ball valves when said valves are in seating position for limiting the movement of said ball valves away from their seats and flexible plastic tubing connected to both the inlet and outlet ends of said lateral bore, whereby, in operation, the reciprocation of said pump liquid is drawn into the inlet tubing and pump and then forced out of the pump and through the outlet tubing.
 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprisEs a pair of coiled wires.
 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including a simi-rigid plastic tube connected to the free end of the inlet tubing, said semi-rigid tube being adapted to be inserted into the dip stick opening of an engine crankcase. 